It was about this time last year when we first heard the haunting melody of “The Song of the Lonely Mountain”, which, in my opinion as a huge Tolkien nerd, was one of the best songs from either The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. In keeping with tradition established last year, we now have an advanced preview of the credit song for The Desolation of Smaug. This one is titled “I See Fire” and was written and performed by Ed Sheeran.

I must say the title is appropriate, considering that Smaug makes his big debut in this installment, and he certainly was known for his fire. However–to my musically untrained ears, anyway–the song doesn’t quite feel as though it fits in Middle-Earth. All of the others, from “May It Be” to “The Song of the Lonely Mountain” sounded as if they had been born in Middle-Earth and belonged more there than they did here. “I See Fire” sounds a bit too…pop to me. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a pretty awesome song, though.